Transmitting means for wireless telegraphy.



0. M AGNER. TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY.

APPLICATION FILED mu; 8. 191

Patented July 11, -1 T v ZSHEETS-SHEET' WITNESSES 'ATTORNEY C. M. AGNER.

TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,I9I4.

1 1 90,973 Patented July 11, 19-16.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N 3 CflZ/i /zefi WITNESSES Q r I 4 INVENTOR) i A g p I BY {0 4. I

ATTO R N EY TRANSMITTING Means FOR WIRELESS TELEGRAPHX.

, 311 D ST TES PATENT OFFICE,

GHESTER"MILLER AGNER, or sacnammrro, CALIFORNIA;

i To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, CHESTER M. AGNER,

.a citizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, in the countyof Sacramento and State of Californla, have invented anew and usefulTransmitting Means for .VVireless Telegraphy, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in transmitting means forwireless telegraphy, and its object is to provide. a

--meanswhereby certain signals may be sent out from a'station in chargeof persons unskilled in telegraphy.

Many ships are not required to beprovided with wireless outfits, and,therefore,

Y may be sent out, and in additon nals similarly to .the sending ofsignals by the ordinary key. The automatic transmit- -driven memberwhich have no means when in distress of communicating with other vesselsor stations. For such ships the present invention affords a meanswhereby the recognized thereto such information as the location of thevessel and the character of the distress. and the whole apparatus is ofa natureyrequiring no skilled attention or the presence of a trainedoperator, since it may be put into commission by any person ofintelligence without any pretact may sendingcircuit in a manner to sendout sigter of signals is provided with a suitable I outfit ofinterchangeable blocks properly marked andreadily applied or removed,

.. QZ1Cl1 block conta ning a word or legend showing the information itIS capable of sending, and the automatic side of the send ;ing apparatus1s appropriately extensive for the inclusion of as much information asis necessary. 7 V

The apparatus also includes a suitable motor whichmay be indicative ofany driving power by which the block carrying part of the sendingapparatus is given a motion Specification of Letters latent. i

distress call as shown in Fig. 4,

be established and broken in thecausing the sending out of signals inthe desiredorder with repetitions of as long as may be necessary.

The invention will. be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings forming a'part of this specificatlon, with thefurther understanding that while the drawings show a practical form ofthe invention the latter is not confined to any strict conformity withthe showing. of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long assuch changes and modifications mark no material departure from thesalient features of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation partly broken away showing asending disk with some contact blocks thereon. Fig. 2 is an endelevation of the structure of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is station. Fig. 1 is afragmentary perspec= tive view of a portion of the sending wheel Fig. 5is a with some parts broken away. section on the line 55 of Fig. 1 butdrawn on a larger scale. .Fig. 6 is a similar section of a somewhatmodified form of the wheel." Figs. '7 and 8 are diagrammaticrepresentations of different forms of current collecting means which maybe employed.

Referring first to Fig. 3, there is shown a wheel or disk 1 mounted on ashaft 2, and this disk or wheel is assumed to be provided with asuitable number of contact blocks 3, or contact blocks 4 as indicated inFig. 6, the contact surfaces of either of the blocks 3 or 4 being thesame; that is, they are made up of conducting-surfaces 5 andelectrically insulating portions 6. The blocks 3 or 4 may be made ofmetal" and the wheel or disk 1 may be made ofmetal, in which case theblocks are always in electrical contact with the wheel,and the shaft 2maybe made of metal electrically connected with the dick 1. Theinsulating portionsfi are formed of any suitable material or'composition customarily employed" for the purpose, and may be in the.form of sheets or strips as indicated, inset into" the peripheralportions of the blocks 3-'or 4. Since the disk 1 is circular, theblocks-3 and 1 conform to the curvature of the peripheral portion of thedisk where'they are carried in a manner to be described.

Arranged to engage the peripheral pon,

Patented July 1 1,. 191;6. Application filed June 8, 1914. Serial No.843,787. i

the signals is a diagram illustrating the sending no i tions of theblocks 3 or 4 is a collecting roller 7 which may be taken as indicativeof any suitable current collecting device arranged to engage the exposedfaces of the blocks 3 or 4. Referring once more particularly to Fig. 3 aconductor 8 is indicated as extending from and connected to thecollector 7, and this conductor is connected to one side of a battery 9,or other suitable source of electric energy. The other side of' thebattery is connected to one end of a conductor 10, the other end ofwhich is connected to one side of a relay 11, and this relay isconnected by a conductor 12 to a brush 13 either bearing directly uponthe shaft 2 or upon a collecting disk l-l best shown in'Fig. 2.

The relay 11 is provided with an armature 15 movable between contacts 16of platinum or silver in a circuit comprising a conductor 17, a battery18, and one winding 19 of an induction coil 20. The other winding 21 ofthe induction coil 20 is connected on one side of a comluctor 92 leadingto an aerial 23. The other side of the coil 21 is connected to aconductor 24 leading to a ground 25 which may be the hull of the shipupon which the outfit is installed, or the device may be otherwisegrounded. The relay circuit permits the use of a large induction coiland heavy charging current therefor without producing destructivesparking at the type or sending wheel. The conductors E22 and 24 havecontinuations teri'uinating in a spark gap 26 as is Clltjttillnll'). andare also bridged by a condenser 27, all as usual in wireless outfits.

The disk 1 is provided on its periphery with a channel 28 havingmarginal inturned flanges 29 on opposite sides. At some appropriatepoint in the continuity of the channel the flanges are omitted toprovide an entering portion 30, whereby the blocks 3 or 4, as the casemay be. maybe introduced into and moved along the channel to appropriatepoints. At one end of the channel there is provided a stop member-31which will represent the terminal point of travel of the blocks in onedirection around the disk, while the blocks are being put into place.

In the form of block best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 each block is ofappropriate length and curved in the direction of its length inconformity with the curvature ofthe channel 28 and has longitudinalgrooves 32 on opposite faces to receive the flanges 29, so that theblocks once seated in the channel 28 cannot escape therefrom. Thegrooves 32 in the structure best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are about midwayof the height of the blocks 3, so that a portion of these blocks projectradially outwardly beyond the outer edge of the disk 1, and attached toeach block is a manipulating handle 33, whereby the block is readilyapplied to and removed from the disk. Of course, the handle 33 may beomitted but it is a convenient attachment 'to the block. i

There is provided what may be termed an end block 3 which may be locatedat the end of the series of blocks remote from the stop 8]., and thisend block is provided with a thumb screw 34 threaded through an ap r0-priate portion of the block and provided with a clamp nut 35, so thatthe block may be forced tight against the flanges 29 to hold the seriesof blocks from longitudinal movement. Space blocks 4 with insulatedsurfaces are also provided and serve to separate words, numbers, etc.Insulation at the beginning of each block 3 and 4 serves to sepa-.

rate the letters where a block includes but a single letter or the like.The entering ortion ot' the periphery of the disk -1 is of sullicientlength to receive the longest block employed without interference fromthe flanges 29.

The collecting roller 7 is shown in Fig. 1 as mounted on one end of arock arm 36, which arm is under the controlof a spring 37, and in theparticular showing of Figs. 1

and 2 the shaft 9. is jonrnaled 1n bearings :38 surmounting standards 39rising from a base 40. The arm 36 is pivoted between ears +1 on the base4-0, and the spring 37 is interposed between the base 40 and the arm 36thereby maintaining the roller 7 in constant engagement with theperipheral, portions of the series of the blocks 3. Since the roller 7must be insulated from the disk 1, the arm 36 may have a section finsulating material -12 interposed therein, and the conductor Selectrically connected to the roller 7 in any suitable way.

Instead of mounting the roller 7 upon one end of a rock arm it may bemounted on one end of a. rod 43 carried by a post 44 and urged againstthe disk 1 by a spring 45 surrounding the rod 43. Instead of mountingthe rod 43 upon a. post 44 it may rise from a block 46 made fast to thebase 40 in undcrriding relation to the roller 1. The first describedmounting for the roller is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and the other formsare shown in Figs. 7 and 8, respectively. These various illustrations ofmounting of the roller indicate that such mounting may be quite widelyvaried without affecting the operation of the device.

In Fig. 6 the blocks 4 are of rectangular cross section, while thechannel in the peripheral portion of the disk 1 may be deeper than inthe structure of Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5, this channel being shown at 28 ofFig. 6, and is provided with inturned flanges 29 exterior to the blocks4, so that the collecting roller 7 must enter between the flanges -29 inorder to make contact with the conduct-' ing portions of the blocks 4.

The disk 1 is rotated by any suitable shaft 47 carries a wormttZ-engaging a worm ".wheelii9 on the; shaft2-,-thus imparting to thisshaft a slow rotative movementwhich be continued indefinitely after thede- -viee is once started, and so long as the power the motor isavailable.

-. It'is'assumed'that the equipmentdiagr'ame 'mati'cally represented inFig.3. is installed I upon some vessel which does; not come with- .intherequirementslof the law demanding-a 'fwirelessoutfit with skilled-operators,-.and

'.'which types 'of vessels,"therefore, havehere tofore notprovidedawireless' equipments; where the presence ofone. or two skilledjoperators is needful. r f e u suitable blocks. 3 ore arechosen,.the'proper blocks being easily picked out from theblocks'supplied'with the equipment by the .words or, legends thereonwhich are readily The equ pment of the present-invention supposed to beunder the control of'the captain-of the vessel or some. other respon;'sible person, and in the event of accident readable. If'the accident heof such a nature [as to place the vessel in-imminent danger -:-of loss,the person in charge selects blocks it the first-of which may be thatcorrespond 1 may contain to the call S. O. S.- The nextblock thetelegraphic signal for the particular vessel. The next series of blocksare'chosen to'show the latitude and longitude of the vessel, and otherblocks may be chosen'toindicate the condition of the ves- -sel,-such asSinking or Burningflor some other wordof which the equipment may containa suitable supplyv Any other words may be added indicating the urgencyof the case. Having-set up the series of blocks in the periphery of thewheel, the operator has but to start the motor, 'whereuponthe wheel willbegin and continue to turn at a suitable speed-causing makes and breaksin the electric circuit corresponding .to the telegraph code andwireless signals will be caused and whereby i lllWGSSGlS carrying lessthan the number of f continue so long as maybe needful, and all thiswithout any attention whatever from the attendant.

The present invention provides a means freighters, small steam ships,and

passengers demanding the presence of wire its less operators may beequipped at a moderate expense with a wireless outfit enabling thecommander of the vessel to avail himself-0f the advantages of wirelesstelegraphy for summoning assistance in case of danger demanding suchassistance, and this without the necessity of any skilled assistposition less telegraphy.

ant'spor'any skill at allwith wire- Besides a supply oilblocks"arrangedto send out summons essary information, the equipment'mayinclude other blocks containing information which experience mayteach isof value; Of

course, the present invention does "not de-' mend-the employment'ot areceiving set, and lie record he kept of vessels equipped with sending'setsonly, other "vessels provided with receiving sets Willa-at oncelmowthecharacter of the vessel; sending out the call forhelpri The-present"invention does-not include (any; improvements in the, sending apparatusaside from the disk'land theparts directly associated 'therewith,and so.far as the apparatus for producing ether waves is conce'rned anysuitable aiwangement may be employed. .What is claimed is LIA" wirelesstelegraphic transmitter,

Icomprising a- ;rotatable carrier and interchangeable contaet members,the I carrier havingafiperipheral channel for the recep-,

tion of the contact members serially and at one end having permanentstop means for the contact members, and said contact members each havingconducting and insulating portions together representing complete words,numbers, or the like, or recognized abbreviations thereof, and anothermemconstitutingja stopmember for the end of for help and the nec heradapted to theperipheral channel and the series of contact membersremote from the permanent stop.- v

2. A wireless telegraph transmitter-comprising a rotatable disk orcarrier having a peripheral groove or channel, blocks interchangeablyadapted to the channel and provided with conducting and insulating portions corresponding to chosen telegraphic symbols, tatable carrier andblocks in the transmitter circuit, said disk or carrier having block.

retaining means at theperipheral channel portion, and said retainingmeans having its circumferential contlnuity broken to provide fortheinsertion into and removal'ol. the blocks from the channel.

3Q A wireless telegraph transmitter comand means for coupling up theroprising arotatable disk or carrier with a per f ripheral channelhaving inturned marginal flanges with the continuity of the flangesbroken at a predeterminedpoint' to provide an entranceand exit openingfor the channel, and blocks adapted to the channel to move lengthwisetherein, said disk'having a stop in the channel adjacent to the.entrance opening, and one of the blocks being provided with retainingmeans for engaging the disk or carrier to hold the block in topreventescape of the other blocks,

4. A wireless telegraph transmitter comprising a rotatable disk having aperipheral channel, blocks adapted to the channel and provided withconducting and insulating surfaces, means on the carrier for prevent ingmovement of the blocks circumferentially of the channel beyond apredetermined point, and one of the blocks having clamping means forholding it and the blocks between it, and the means on the car rier forpreventing movement of the blocks.

5. A wireless telegraph transmitter comprising a rotatable disk having aperipheral channel, bl0cks adapted to the channel and provided withconducting and insulating surfaces, means on the carrier for preventingmovement of the blocks circumferenforegoing as my own, I have heretoaffixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Y CHESTER MILLER AGNER,

Witnesses:

1. M. MCCARTHY, W. A; Gn'r'r.

